Africa – Online English Language Teacher Training

In February 2021, Edinburgh College started working on a new project to upskill English Language Teachers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Over five weeks, the College’s ESOL team delivered an online English Language and Teaching Methodology course to a group of high performing English teachers from twelve different countries across the continent (Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea (Conakry), Mali, Mozambique, Niger and Senegal).

The course is part of the English Connects programme, jointly funded by the FCDO and the British Council, which aims to connect African youth and the future generation of leaders with the UK through English. The core of this is through English language teaching and learning, particularly in French and Portuguese speaking countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with the aim of creating opportunities for young people to study, improve their employability and expand their networks.

For Edinburgh College, involvement in the programme follows on from a similar course delivered to English teachers from Rwanda and adds to the College’s growing portfolio of projects in Africa.

The course was delivered in two parts. For the first part of the course, participants undertook a week-long intensive language and teaching methodology course delivered remotely by Edinburgh College trainers. For the second part of the course, participants returned to their classrooms to implement what they have learned, with shorter weekly follow-up sessions providing the opportunity for participants to feedback on their progress, and for Edinburgh College trainers to continue to provide guidance and support.

Speaking after the intensive part of the programme, one of the teachers attending the course from Benin said: “We successfully completed the intensive part of the course. It was really enjoyable. We shared experiences and knowledge during the one-week intensive course. I liked the collaboration and the active participation of each awardee. The Edinburgh College trainers were excellent. We gained more insights from them as well. I actually took advantage of that opportunity to improve my teaching practices for the benefit of my learners. I’ve already started sharing the acquired skills with my colleagues locally.”